1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multi-functional electronic devices and, more specifically, to cellular telephones incorporating non-telephony related functionality and, even more specifically, to cellular telephones that also serve as highway/roadway radar detectors.
2. Description of the Background
Electronic devices with multiple uses or functional modes are commonplace in the 21st Century. A cellular telephone is one such example. It is now possible to obtain a cellular telephone that, in addition to allowing a user to make and receive telephone calls, also provides for the playing of video/computer games and/or the taking of digital pictures.
Yet another handy, electronic device is a police radar detector. A radar detector, designed to alert a motor vehicle operator to the presence of a police radar or speed trap, is typically a single function device meant to be semi-permanently mounted in a vehicle.
Given that cellular telephones have become a virtually indispensable tool of everyday life, they typically travel with their owner at all times—especially when he/she is traveling by motor vehicle. Therefore, the combination of cellular telephone and radar detection technologies into a single device represents a logical step in the continuing evolution of multi-functional electronic apparatus. The present inventor is not the first to suggest or produce this combination. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0152264 to Yamasaki and U.S patent application Ser. No. 2002/0032510 to Turnbull et al. disclose apparatus possessing cellular telephone and radar detection functionality.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0152264 to Yamasaki discloses a network appliance that may be installed in a vehicle for transmitting and receiving information relating to interactions between a user and the vehicle, vehicle mechanics, information relating to the user, information relating to the vehicle's physical location, information relating to business locations, etc. Furthermore, the appliance accesses and interacts via a network such as the Internet with remote servers to obtain and transmit information relating to the user's relative surroundings, thereby providing the user specific personalized information. Among the functions of the network appliance are included the ability to make and receive cellular telephone calls and radar detection.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0032510 to Turnbull et al. discloses a vehicle communication and control system that may be readily installed in a vehicle. The electrical components of the communication and control system “brick” are integrated into a rearview mirror assembly. Preferably, the microwave antenna for a GPS and a cellular telephone antenna are also integrated into the rearview mirror assembly. Various functions and features of the system, including radar detection, are also disclosed.
Unfortunately, each of the prior art references falls short of the optimum combination of cellular telephone and radar detection functionality. The Yamasaki and Turnbull et al. devices include a number of additional functions and are intended for permanent, or at least semi-permanent (i.e. use of a tool is required to attach/detach the device), mounting within a vehicle. To the best of the knowledge of the present inventor, the prior art does not contain an easy to use, readily transportable apparatus with user-selectable cellular telephone and/or radar detection operational modes.
Therefore, it would be greatly advantageous to supply an apparatus that is easy to use, may be easily transported by a user either by hand-carrying or detachable attachment to the user, may be detachably attached within a vehicle (i.e. readily removable from the vehicle), and incorporates multiple, user-selectable functional/operational modes. Apparatus of this type should be fabricated of materials providing the appropriate degree of durability/longevity due to the nature of use, and be economical to manufacture and sell to provide for widespread use.